Monday, July 11, 2011

This is an absolutely shameful performance by Juan Williams on Fox News Sunday, along with some disappointing assumptions made by Brit Hume and Stephen Hayes. Mara Liasson didn't wade too deep into any cogent analysis but implied, if ever so slightly, that the reason for the scandal could have been the fact that ATF has been operating with an 'acting Director' and not a confirmed one. That one is straight from the liberal talking points and NPR doesn't like Mara going too far off the reservation during her Fox appearances.

First up, Brit Hume. Very early in this segment, Hume asserts that Gunrunner is a real scandal and that the Justice Department reminds him of Nixon's DOJ. Then, Hume disappoints slightly at the end when Bret Baier asks him about the operation having anything to do with the Obama administration's gun control agenda. Instead of saying, 'I hope not' or 'I can see where someone might get that idea' or 'we'll have to wait and see,' Hume demurs and pooh poohs the notion. While doing so, however, he noticeably lowers his voice, which could express doubt. Then again, that's a question for Tanya Reiman.

Stephen Hayes makes some good points but extends Holder too much grace when he says that the Attorney General's motives were noble and that he implemented Fast and Furious to get bigger drug cartel fish after the Bush administration had very limited success. The problem with that assessment is that the evidence is increasingly pointing to that merely being the stated objective, not the actual one. Perhaps Hayes should review all the reportage on this story; it started back in late December with Sipsey Street and David Codrea. In particular, he should look at the comment from Agent John Dodson who said he was told 'if you want to make an omelette, you have to scramble some eggs' by one of his supervisors. That can mean many things, including: 'If you want gun control, innocent people have to die.' Both Hayes and Hume punted a bit.

Now for Juan Williams. This guy would be a good spinmeister if he picked his battles better. Defending Eric Holder by saying that people have been after him for a long time and that this is all political, is unmatched hackery. He then lists several reasons why people don't like Holder. Unwittingly, Williams made the case that maybe Holder is just a bad guy by listing those things but he was too busy defending Holder to notice.